Finding Maisie

Finding Maisie: Chapter 11

Finding Maisie

Chapter 11

It was another one of my family gatherings. As it was summer we were sitting outside whilst my father prepared the barbecue. Everyone was here again. My two uncles and aunt, my second cousins, cousins and Maisie's family. Again, Adam was deciding not to show his face and stayed inside whilst we all basked in the sunlight. I thought that he had to be crazy to miss out on this.

Maisie and I were sitting on the warm grass waiting for Heather to come back out from using the toilet. We were going to play a game together. Heather came outside with her straw coloured curly hair bouncing around as she ran.

'Hey, Heather!' I called. She sat down and nodded at me to continue. 'What should I do for my seventh birthday?'

'I dunno, Poppy, ask your mum,' Heather replied.

'But you just had your eighth birthday party! Surely that makes you an expert or something?'

'Um, well you should have a party. A big one! Have it in your garden because, well, I love your garden.'

I looked at my garden and smiled. It was quite large with a patio by the French doors and a long stretch of grass. There were beautiful flowers and bushes all around and we even had a treehouse with a zip wire. My father made a tire swing as well when I was six but I had to be careful on it.

'What else?' Maisie chimed in, seeming to enjoy the thought of the party as much as I did.

'Well, we could put a banner all the way down the zip wire line and balloons attached to every tree and flower. And you could have a girls only zone in your treehouse so we have a way to get away from the boys.'

I liked that idea. It was all coming together in my head. Decorations everywhere. And loads of food with the most ginormous birthday cake in the universe. This was going to be one amazing birthday party.

'And it could have a theme?' I suggested.

'Yes!' Heather yelled, clapping her hands together. 'An underwater theme! Everyone can come as mermaids or sea creatures and pirates! And you have to invite everyone! All your class friends, Maisie, me and Adam maybe...'

'Adam?' I said, all thoughts of my party being immediately clouded by thinking of my cousins odd behaviour, 'Why would he come?'

'Well, he always liked parties,' Heather said.

'He doesn't anymore,' Maisie said, 'He doesn't like us.'

'Well, I don't think he likes many people now,' Heather informed us.

It had been almost two years now that Adam had started to ignore us now. I needed answers.

'Not even you?' I asked.

'I don't think so,' Heather replied sadly, 'I needed help with my homework so I asked Adam. He shouted at me and went to his room.'

Maisie and I looked shocked, 'Did you tell your mum?' I asked.

Heather nodded, 'Yes. She said that he isn't doing well at school anyway so there is no point in me asking him for help.'

'Oh,' Maisie said, 'What else has he done?'

'Don't tell anyone this but I was listening to my parents arguing the other day,' Heather began. 'Mum said that Adam was going out too much. Dad said that he was just going to his friend's house but mum didn't think he was. She said he was lying and that he was her son so she could tell. And then mum started talking about how his mood has changed and dad said he's a growing boy and they should expect it. Mum said that there was another reason behind it all and then she went out. I think she was angry.'